(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-14 10:09

BRASILIA -- The United States would like to cooperate with Latin American countries on regional security, visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said here Thursday.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice(L) and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shake hands during a meeting at Planalto Palace in Brasilia. [Agencies]

"We do have to be concerned about terrorism. We have to be concerned about the safety and well-being of countries in the region," Rice said after meeting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Foreign Minister Celso Amorim.

Any countries "should not be subject to terrorist activities or terrorist attacks that are either within their borders or beyond their borders," she added.

When asked about her country's soured relations with Venezuela, she said "The United States doesn't have enemies -- permanent enemies. What we have is the effort to work well with any state that is acting responsibly on matters of democracy, on matters of security, on matters of economic development."

"That's our positive agenda for Latin America and we pursue it without an ideological litmus test."

Rice also said her country was proud of its partnership with the Colombian government in the combat against drug trafficking.

Rice is scheduled to visit Chile and meet President Michelle Bachelet Friday.